Dallas Police Chief David Brown's plan to significantly increase the number of cameras, bait cars and other technologically sophisctacted crime-fighting tools received strong support from the City Council Wednesday.

Using $3 million in funds largely gathered through busts, Brown expects to purchase more than 100 cameras, including 16-20 hidden cameras, to deploy in 27 crime hot spots and eight areas of southern Dallas the city has targeted for economic redevelopment.

That will add to the 124 cameras the city currently deploys.

Brown also has funding to purchase about 16 bait cars used to trap car thieves in the act.

Other planned purchases include 16-20 license plate readers, 16-20 cars outfitted to catch thieves who break in to steal items such as laptops or radios, and as many as 80 global-positioning system trackers that will be attached to items used as bait to lure criminals.

"This technology idea will get us where we need to be much quicker because we'll have evidence caught on tape. Smile, you're on Candid Camera," Brown told the council.

Even as the council embraced the plan, Brown told them the need for new technology is much greater than the funds he has.

Current funding will purchase enough equipment to continually target eight to ten of the 35 areas where Brown wants to deploy technology.

He intends to rotate the equipment. for now But his department, as well as council members, have called for private funding to help police purchase more equipment so that, eventually, all of the hot spots can be covered at all times.

Brown's idea is to bundle and package all of the technology for concentration in specific areas. So bait cars, camera and GPS trackers will all work together to help catch criminals and deter crime, he said.

Mayor Mike Rawlings said he wants to see corporations step up to help the city get what it needs to make Dallas safer.

"We do need private money to make this happen," he said.

As he introduced his plans for cameras and bait cars and sophisticated tracking equipment, Brown also discussed a much lower-tech way to reduce crime - getting more community involvement.

The city currently has some 700 crime watch groups, although many of those are inactive.

"What we need in over 1,000 crime watches," Brown said.

Police are currently working with high-crime communities on what's called a 10/70/20 program. The idea is that, typically, 10 percent of residents in those communities don't tolerate crime, while 70 percent don't commit crime but don't work to prevent it. The 20 percent are the criminals.

"We need to get that group (the 70 percent) participating with the crime watch captain or the crime watch group and make them intolerant of crime," Brown said.

Mayor Pro Tem Pauline Medrano noted how a recently active crime watch group in the Cedars has adopted vacant lots in the area near downtown and watched crime plummet as a result.

Council member Jerry Allen said getting residents involved is the best solution to crime over the longterm..